Railway-signal



P (No Model.)

M. WUERPEL. RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 330,859. Pa tepted Nov. 17, 1885.

W I 0 7T ,i\ E if T 0 I A t E Nv PETERS, FhoQo-Lilhogmpher. Washvngiun.D. Cv

NITED STATES,"

ATENT FFlQlE.

MoRRiS WURRPRL, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

EEPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,859, datedNovember 17, 1885.

Application filed December 13, 1884. Serial N 0. 15 ,253. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS WUERPEL, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Imiprovementin Railway-Signals, of which the followingisa full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying draw.- ings,forming part of this Specification.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section at 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is in the maina top view of the a p paratus with the top of the case removed and thesignal-Staff cut off at 22, Fig. 1, one of the rams being in horizontalaxial section, and one of the plunger-stops being also in horizon talsection. Fig. 3 is a transverse section at 3 3, Figs. land 2. Fig. 4 isa top view of lantern.

A is the case or box giving bearing to the parts of the signal andcontaining the operating mechanism.

B is the cover of the case or box, which I prefer, in general, to makeof wood, but do not confine myself to any particular material.

C are lugs projecting from the inner sides of the case.

D is a table or shelf extending from side to side of the case and boltedto the lugs. These lugs are so arranged that the table can be fastenedin a reverse position, or, in other words, turned end for end in thecase where circumstances may require. The lower'end of the signal-staffE is stepped at F on the table D, and has also bearing in a box, G,fixed to the top 13. The lantern H has four bulls-eyes, two of which-II, for examplemay indicate danger, and the other twoJ J-may indicate,respectively, different positions of the switch. Fast'upon thesignal-staff is a cog wheel or segment, K, which is engaged by twocog-racks, L L, which are upon two plungerrods, M M, whose plhngers Nwork in ramcylinders 0. Each cog-rack L has a short tooth or teeth, Z,so that the racks, when in their normal position, (see Fig. 2,) are outof engagement with the oogsegment, so that either rack may move forwardand operate the signal without affecting the other rack.

By the use of two racks, L, engaging the pinion K on opposite sides ofthe staff E, the mechanism required to present either one of the sidesignals, J, to the approaching train is very much simplified. Forexample, if but one of such racks were employed it would be necessary toturn the staff forty-five degrees in order to present one of the signalsJ, while it would be necessary to turn it one hundred and thirty-fivedegrees in the same direction in order to present the other. This wouldof course require some stop mechanism for stopping the rotation of thestaff when the desired signal had been brought to the front, and in adevice actuated from a distance through the medium of fluid contained inpipes this stop mechanism would doubtless have to be of a somewhatcomplicated construction. The use of two rack-bars, substantially asdescribed, will therefore enable the production of a device themechanical construction of which is very simple, but at the same timeabsolutely certain in its operation..

The plunger or rack rods work in guideboxes P. The outward movement ofthe rods is arrested by stop-posts Q, having a pad, q, of soft metal orother suitable material to receive the impingement of the end of therod.

R is a pipe, through which air, steam,water, or other medium enters theram-cylinder to cause the advance of the plunger and cog-rack. On theretreat of the plunger the air or other medium escapes from the cylinderthrough the pipe R. I Show no device for causing these movements of therams, because these devices constitute no part of the invention, andsuch devices are well known. For example, the pipe connecting the ramwith the source of pressure may be provided with. an ordinary three-waycock, which, when turned one way, will place said ram in communicationwith the fluid under pressure, and when turned the other way will beplaced in communication with the external atmosphere. As soon as theplunger is relieved from pressure in the cylinder, it is forced backwardby a weight, S. This weight is upon the arm 16 of a bell-crank lever,'1, whose other arm is connected by a link, U, with the rack or plungerrod M. The weight being connected with the staff E through the medium ofthese parts of the device, it will be seen that the signal is alwaysreturned thereby to danger when the plunger is relieved from pressure inthe cylinder. This position of the parts is shown in all the.

' lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

figures of the drawings, while the advanced .position of one of theplungers, and consequent elevation of its weight, are shown by broken Itwill be observed that after the staff G has been returned to theposition shown in Fig. 2 it will be held against rotating at random ineither direction by the tooth Z at the end of the rack L, while themutilation at Z permits it to be rotated freely by either of the tworack-bars.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a wheel or segment upona railway-signal staff, of two cogracks engaging said wheel or segment,for the purpose set forth, and having one or more teeth removedpartially or wholly at Z, for the purpose set forth.

2. The signal-operating rack-rod M, wheel or segment K, and stop Q,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Inarailway-signal, the combination,with the signal-staff having a cogWheel or segment secured thereto and a weight for returning said signalto its normal position, of a pair of reciprocating rack-bars located onthe respective sides of said staff and'adapted to be engaged with saidcog-wheel at the will of the operator, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the rotary staff of tion of said cog wheel orsegment by one of 35 said racks is prevented from moving the other, asset forth.

5. The combination, with the staff G, having the cog wheel or segment Ksecured thereto, as described, of the rack-bars L, located on therespective sides of said staff, each having a mutilated portion, Z, anda tooth, Z, beyond said mutilated portion, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

6. The combination, with the signal-staff G, having the cog wheel orsegment K secured thereto, of the racks L, located on the respectivesides of said staff and having the mutilations Z and the teeth Z, theweight S, for holding said racks normally retracted, and means under thecontrol of the operator for forcing either of said racks forward forchanging the signal, as explained.

MORRIS WUERP'EL'.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, GEo. H. KNIGHT.

